TOWNSVILLE

HISTORY
educ ation kit

1
2
YEAR 2
the past in the present
Students explore the history of Magnetic Island and investigate its significance in Townsville life.

Topic >>
Magnetic Island

Key inquiry questions >>

• In what ways has Magnetic Island been used in the past by people who lived in Townsville?
• Who and what kind of people have lived on Magnetic Island?
• How have the ways Townsville people have used Magnetic Island changed over time?

Content >>
The history of a significant person, building, site or part of the natural environment in the local
community and what it reveals about the past.

Students >>
Pose questions relevant to the history of Magnetic Island, consider how use of Magnetic Island has
changed and remained the same between the past and the present.

MAGNETIC ISLAND
way people
History is not always about people; places are just as important. The
or of what
interact with places like parks, rivers, islands or oceans is often an indicat
is most or least important to them.
of reasons and
There are many places in Townsville which are significant for a variety
places in
each one could be the subject of some investigation. Perhaps few other
Townsville are as visible and as popular as Magnetic Island.
Townsville. It is
Magnetic Island is one of the most recognisable and loved places in
and has a
a holiday destination for both locals and tourists from all over the world
small population of local residents, but what do we know about its past?
investigate how
In this section we will think about Magnetic Island’s history. We will
be interesting to
Magnetic Island has been used by Townsvillians in the past. It will
same.
think about how things have changed, or how they have remained the

3
4
ACTIVITY 1
what do you know?

HISTORICAL SKILLS AND ACTIVITIES:

Pose questions about the past using sources provided.

For Student Worksheet see resource folder Year 2 Activity 1

What kind of things do you imagine when you think about Magnetic Island?

Have you ever been to Magnetic Island? If you have, what was your favourite part of the trip? If
you have not, what would you like to do once you get there?

How do you think people get from Townsville to Magnetic Island?

Why do you think the island is called ‘Magnetic’?

Write a question about something you would like to know about Magnetic Island’s past.

What do you know about Magnetic Island’s past? Have you heard stories? Have you seen
pictures? Have you read books about Magnetic Island? Write whatever you know about Magnetic
Island’s past.

5
ACTIVITY 2
RESOURCE

For images refer to resource folder Year 2 Activity 2

6
ACTIVITY 2
magnetic then and now

HISTORICAL SKILLS AND ACTIVITIES:

Explore a range of sources about the past; identify and compare features of objects from the past
and present; distinguish between the past, present and future.

For Student Worksheet see resource folder Year 2 Activity 2

Use a Venn Diagram broken into Past, Present and Same. For example:

Past Same Present

View the images provided. Each is an image of Magnetic Island in the past and comparative image
from the present. Note the unique aspects of the past, the present and elements which are the same in
the Venn Diagram.

7
ACTIVITY 3
RESOURCE

Students read the script.

For the full script and images refer to resource folder Year 2 Activity 3

My name is Charlie and I know the real Magnetic Island. To most people Magnetic
Island is just a lovely holiday resort, noted for good swimmin g, clean white
beaches, well conducte d hotels, several popular motels and guest houses—
altogethe r they say it is a place of pleasant memorie s. Few indeed know her early
history and interesti ng backgrou nd.

For those who don’ t know, Captain Cook called it Magnetic Island because he
thought the island possess ed some magnetic force that made his compass all
funny. It’s not magnetic at all, but its name hasn’ t changed .

Of course Captain Cook was not the f irst person on Magnetic Island. Local
Indigeno us peoples lived there and others who lived on the mainland would
often visit. Mr Butler, one of the earliest non-Ind igenous people to move to
Magnetic Island told me. He said it was not uncommo n to see Indigeno us people
wade in the very low August tides from Kissing Point to the channel alongsid e
the Island. Then they then swam this last lap to reach the Island and once
there they would hunt and pow-wow with their friends of the tribe that lived on
Magnetic Island. Occasion ally they would return the visit; some would paddle
across in their little bark canoes.

8
ACTIVITY 3
magnetic isl and in the past

HISTORICAL SKILLS AND ACTIVITIES:

Explore a range of sources about the past, identify and compare features of objects from the past
and present.

For Student Worksheet see resource folder Year 2 Activity 3

This is a story about how and why people who lived in Townsville in the past visited Magnetic Island.
As the story is told and you enjoy the images, it is important to think about what is different or the
same between the past and the present.
Read the script and answer the questions that follow.
1. Explain why Captain Cook called it Magnetic Island.
2. Describe what the word ‘wade’ means.
3. Explain the meaning of the word ‘channel’ in this story.
4. Describe what the word ‘quarantine’ means. Why do you think it was important for people to be
kept alone and away from others before they arrived on the mainland?
5. Identify which bay on Magnetic Island was famous for its pineapples.
6. List the activities that people used to do on Magnetic Island.
7. Explain something from the story that you were surprised to learn. Why did it surprise you?
8. Identify something that has changed about the way people use Magnetic Island.
9. Explain something that has not changed about the way people use Magnetic Island.
10. Try to imagine what might happen to Magnetic Island, or how people may use Magnetic Island,
in 100 years. Consider what Magnetic Island might look like if people still live there, how
people will get there, the kind of activities people do there and if people will still visit. Describe
your prediction.

9
10
YEAR 3
communit y remembr ance
Students explore the two Indigenous peoples who were traditional custodians of the Townsville land.

Topic >>
Wulgurukaba and Bindal: their stories and language

Key inquiry questions >>

• What is the significance of country to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples?
• Who are the traditional owners of the land surrounding Townsville?
• What are some stories which connect country and culture with the Wulgurukaba and Bindal
peoples?
• What was the language of Townsville’s traditional owners?

Content >>
The importance of Country and Place to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples who belong
to a local area.

Students >>
Will be able to identify who are traditional custodians of the Townsville area (Wulgurukaba and
Bindal people), they will be able to identify their country on a map, and they will be able to identify
their totems.

WULGURUKABA AND BINDAL PEOPLES

years ago.
The first Australians arrived on this continent approx imately 40,000
. Each tribal
Over that period they lived scatter ed across the land in tribal groups
Australians,
group had their own countr y, language and culture. For Aborig inal
part of their
countr y is not just the land on which they live, it is an import ant
traditional
spirituality and culture. In this section we will look at the two local
people,
Aborig inal Australian owners of the land, the Wulgur ukaba and Bindal
their stories and their language.

11
ACTIVITY 1
RESOURCE

For flag images refer to resource folder Year 3 Activity 1

12
 Find the definition of the following
WORD words, and where appropriate use
them in a sentence: flag, dhari,
BANK southern hemisphere, symbol.

ACTIVITY 1
re ading fl ags as stories

HISTORICAL SKILLS AND ACTIVITIES:

Locate relevant information from sources provided; identify different points of view.

For Student Worksheet see resource folder Year 3 Activity 1

Flags are often much more than a pretty design; they represent important aspects of people’s past
and place in the world.
Looking at the Australian flag, it has three symbols. All three elements represent something significant
to the Australian community.
The Australian Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders also have flags. Identify what each aspect of the
two flags symbolise. The Australian flag has been completed as an example.

The Australian Flag

Union Jack The Union Jack includes English, Scottish, and Irish symbols. It is
used in the Australian f lag to symbolise the nation’s link to all the
nations of Great Britain.
Commonwealth Star The second is the Commonwealth Star which has seven points. The
points symbolise the six former colonies (Queensland, New South
Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia) and
one point symbolises the territories.
Southern Cross The Southern Cross is one of the most visible constellations in the
Southern Hemisphere.

Aboriginal Flag
Black section
Red Section
Yellow Circle

Torres Strait Islander Flag

Green sections
Black stripes
The five pointed star
The white dhari
The white

13
ACTIVITY 2
RESOURCE

For map refer to resource folder Year 3 Activity 2

Part 1 images, Wulgurukaba map.

herbert river

14
ACTIVITY 2
local dre amtime stories

HISTORICAL SKILLS AND ACTIVITIES:

Locate relevant information from sources provided; identify different points of view; use a range of
communication forms.

For Student Worksheet see resource folder Year 3 Activity 2

When Europeans first arrived in Australia they assumed that no one owned the land because there
were no boundaries marked by fences and farms.
The whole continent, however, was home to the Aboriginal Australians who had already been living
here for many years – hundreds of generations. Archaeological sites near Townsville confirm that
Aboriginal Australians have been living in the area for over 10,000 years.
The Traditional Custodians of Townsville are the Wulgurukaba and Bindal people. Both people have
stories important to their tribe and the land to which they belong.
Part 1
Read the following Wulgurukaba story and then draw and colour the carpet snake onto the map
provided.
The Wulgurukaba people call their country Currumbilbarra. Wulgurukaba means “canoe people”.
An important symbol for the Wulgurukaba people is the carpet snake. The story tells of the
creation snake that comes down from the Herbert River (Ingham area), went out to sea creating
the Hinchinbrook channel and down to Palm and Magnetic Island. His body broke up leaving parts
along the coast. The tail of the snake is at Halifax Bay; his body is at Palm Island; and his head rests
at Arcadia on Magnetic Island.
Part 2
Read the following Bindal story and then colour a picture which depicts this story.
The Bindal people call their country Thul Garrie Waja. An important symbol for the Bindal people is the
shooting star. They believe that wherever the star fell or the direction in which the star fell signalled
that either danger was coming from that direction or someone in that direction was in need of help.
In 1846, twenty years before Townsville became a city, a group of Europeans were shipwrecked and
some survivors landed on Cape Cleveland. After fourteen days on the shore they were found by local
Aborigines. This is what James Morrill, one of the ship-wrecked said occurred in his journal:
After we had been fourteen days on the shore we were seen by some of the natives. It appeared
that for several nights they had observed falling stars in one particular direction—the direction
of the rocks on which we were. They also it afterwards appeared have a kind of superstition in
reference to falling stars, they think that they point out the direction of a hostile tribe. Something
however more than usual possessed the minds of these Aborigines and they bent their steps in
the direction the stars fell.

15
ACTIVITY 3
RESOURCE

For word search refer to resource folder Year 3 Activity 3

B O D E E N C M I L H G A O O N G O G O
C A Y G L O A O A L S F R E N T S T R U
M L B J M K V O R I Q M A N D E L G U N
I L D O J E B R P M N C W A R A H O E U
N O O N A B N O O Y I N O E R U E O E A
D E R A F Z P L K B E R T I R J H B C R
W K O B I M O O R G H U R M O O G A O E
Y G A L A B I L L I M O O U N D I L O E
U S T T A N A S T I C O O N G A N A N D
M A S H O R O N A O G I J D A M B B A E
B G H A I N E R C A O R I A R A I O M E
O H I L T N A A R A A R M L A I N R B B
O O G N O N D K A I K A G G M L J O E L
R R C A M N I A C C A M A H O U I B L A
B A L R O R H C N C A L B A I N T E L C
A B M O O H T E O G M M U N A N A N A R
N I R O N R B H O M A M A I M O B H O N
G A N A O L O O I M U N D I N E B O R O
G D A E A M D B D M U N U M D E E R R M
A M M C O O L E E M A N D I N R L A O O

Bodeen (Herbert River) Oongogo (Belgian Gardens)

Kiroonda (Mount Marlow/Pallarenda)
Cooleeman (Cape Cleveland)
Mundalghan (Mt Stuart)
Goobalaboro (Mt Louisa)
Mandelgun (Mount Elliot)
Moorghur mooga (The Great Barrier Reef)
Thindanga (Garbutt)
Yoonbanoon (Magnetic Island)
Boorbangga (Aitkenvale)
Calbeedeera (Ross River)
Toorghinboro (Bohle)
Coonambella (Townsville area)
Mun-Dine-Bo-Ro (refers to Rising Sun district – the
suburb of Mundingburra takes its name from this word)

16
ACTIVITY 3
local indigenous l anguage find-a-word

HISTORICAL SKILLS AND ACTIVITIES:

Identify different points of view; locate relevant information from sources provided.

For Student Worksheet see resource folder Year 3 Activity 3

Tribal groups have their own languages and the language of the Bindal people is the Birrigubba
language.
In 1875 a man called Charles Price arrived in Townsville. In 1885 he produced a booklet called
Language of the Townsville Area in which he listed the language of the local Indigenous groups. Some
of the words he recorded became incorporated into the street and suburb names of Townsville. Price’s
work is a constant reminder that well before Europeans arrived and named many of the Townsville’s
features, the Wulgurukaba and Bindal people had already done so. Price Street in Belgian Gardens is
named after Charles Price.
Complete the word search. The terms you will be looking for are the local Aboriginal terms for
Townsville places and icons.

17
18
YEAR 4
first contacts
Students explore the earliest interactions in Townsville between European and Indigenous peoples.

Topic >>
James Morrill

Key inquiry questions >>

• Who was James Morrill and what kind of relationship did he have with the Indigenous people?

Content >>
The nature of contact between Aboriginal people and/or Torres Strait Islanders and others, for
example, the Macassans and the Europeans, and the effects of these interactions on, for example
families and the environment.

Students >>
Will explore how the Indigenous people from the Townsville area first interacted with Europeans, as
well as how early Europeans engaged with the Townsville Indigenous peoples. They will explore the
story of James Morrill, and examine images depicting Aborigines in the Townsville area.

FIRST CONTACTS: JAMES MORRILL

from cordial
First contac t between Europeans and Aborig inal Australians ranged
ed on the
and pleasant to volatile and violent . The outcomes often depend
other’s point of
participants’ motives, willing ness, and ability to unders tand the
inals which
view. The first long-term contac t between Europeans and the Aborig
an to arrive and
occupied the lands around Townsv ille is unique. The first Europe
. In this section
live in the Townsv ille area was a shipwr eck survivor, James Morrill
we will look at Morrill’s story.

19
 Find the definition of the following
WORD words, and where appropriate use them
in a sentence: shipwreck, tomahawk,
BANK pardon, curiosity.

ACTIVITY 1
morrill’s story

HISTORICAL SKILLS AND ACTIVITIES:

Locate relevant information from sources provided; identify different points of view; use a range of
communication forms; use historical terms.

For Student Worksheet including Y-chart diagram, see resource folder Year 4 Activity 1
Part 1
Students read a digital copy of the text through our CityLibraries Local History collection.
Teachers should be aware that the original text, which is provided here digitally, includes terms and
words to describe Aboriginal Australians which are today considered offensive, but were part of the
accepted discourse of the time.
The text is from ‘Sketch of a residence among the Aboriginals of Northern Queensland for Seventeen
Years’ by James Morrill. On pages 9 to 12, Morrill describes the episodes which led to him and his
fellow castaways being adopted into the tribes of the area. The process carried over several days and
involved several meetings.
From ‘After we had been fourteen days on the shore we were seen by some of the natives’ to
‘Eventually we went with them, but they dug the roots up for us till we learned to do it ourselves.’
Read the digital copy of this text through our CityLibraries Local History collection.
After reading the passage fill out the Y-chart to establish what the encounter between Morrill and his
fellow shipwreck survivors and the local Aboriginals looked, felt, and sound like.

20
Part 2
On pages 15 to 17 Morrill has heard about the arrival of Europeans to the south and seeks to make contact.
From ‘I received almost daily reports of the white people’ to ‘I experienced great kindness from
Mr. W.H. Thomas and Mr. P. Somers, who gave me clothes and made a subscription for me in my
necessities.’
1. How would you describe the relationship between Morrill and Aboriginal Australians? What
aspects of the story made you think this way?
2. Fill in the following table. In the first column is an item or tradition introduced by Europeans
mentioned in the story. In the middle column you are to re-write the sentence/s which mention
these items. In the final column you are to describe the impact of these introduced items or way of
life on the Aboriginal Australians as depicted in the story.

Sentence Impact
Cattle
Fences
Sheep
Guns
Horses
In the last paragraph of page 24, Morrill reflects on what should or could happen to Aboriginal
Australians in the area.
From ‘It will perhaps be pardonable in me’ to ‘But as the cold season is coming on, a good blanket would
be invaluable, so would some small tomahawks, knives, old iron hoops and fishing hooks.’
3. After reading the passage from Morrill how do you think he felt about his time with Aboriginal
Australians?
4. Complete another Y-chart on what it would have looked, felt and sounded like when Morrill left the
tribe which had adopted him.
5. After reading the story of James Morrill, describe in your own words what the earliest interactions
were like between European and Aboriginal Australians in the Townsville area.

21
In 1860 Queensland separated from the Colony of New South Wales, the separation
prompted pastoral settlement to spread throughout the state. In 1861, John Melton Black,
an English born merchant who had immigrated to Australia in the 18 50s to take part in
the Victorian Gold Rush, arrived in Bowen. Black was one of North Queensland’s earliest
pioneers and after arriving in Bowen he took up a huge parcel of land in the area which
is now Woodstock. In 1864, Robert Towns, a successful Sydney business man, acquired a
number of cattle stations around the Burdekin River, including Woodstock, and employed
Black to manage them all. Towns continued to live in Sydney and Black managed the
cattle stations.
In 1864, Black sent out two of his employees, Andrew Ball and Mark Watt Reid, to locate
a suitable site for a port and a boiling down works. The boiling down works would help
the cattle industry by creating an opportunity to sell another product. The new port
would allow Black and Towns to ship their cattle and tallow to other locations. Ball and
Reid, accompanied by two Aboriginal Australian guides, located a site at the mouth
of Ross Creek. A road link with the nearby pastoral country was established, and the
small township (then called by both Cleveland Bay and Castletown) began to grow. Black
travelled to Sydney to request f inancial support
from Towns to help grow the small township: What is boiling down and wh
at is
Towns provided the money, Black built the town. tallow? Boiling down is the
process
of removing fat from a dead
In February 1866, the small township became animal,
usually cattle or sheep. The
a municipality and the settlement was named fat is
turned into a solid substance
called
Townsville in honour of its f inancier. tallow. In the nineteenth cen
tur y
tallow was used to make so
aps,
candles and cosmetics.

Find the definition of the following words and

WORD terms, and use them in a sentence: gold rush,
pastoral, boiling down works, merchant, prospector,
BANK ruminative, iron horse, quarrel and zenith.

22
YEAR 5
the austr alian colonies
Students explore the importance of the discovery of gold in Charters Towers and the rail link with it in
the history of Townsville.

Topic >>
Gold and Rail

Key inquiry questions >>

• What are the origins of Townsville, why, how and who established it?
• Why was the discovery of gold in Charters Towers so important to the history of Townsville?

Content >>
The impact of a significant development or event on a colony; for example, frontier conflict, the gold
rushes, the Eureka Stockade, internal exploration, the advent of rail, the expansion of farming and
drought.

Students >>
Will examine texts about early Townsville, early photos and maps to explore how the nature of the
city changed before Federation.

ORIGINS OF TOW NSVILLE

Australia to
Townsv ille and North Queensland were some of the last areas of
ng the
receive European settlement. In 1860 Queensland was formed followi
ents
separation of the colony of New South Wales. Follow ing 1860, settlem
was beginning
began to emerge along the Queensland coastline. In 1861 Bowen
signific ant
to rise in import ance and it looked likely that it would become the
ille’s arrival
town in the north. That same year, however, the seeds for Townsv
ille throug h to
were planted. In this section we will look at the origins of Townsv
successful
Federation. We will examine the import ance of rail and gold to the
establishment of Townsv ille..

23
ACTIVITY 1
RESOURCE

Images will be included in the Student Worksheet, for Student Worksheet refer to
resource folder Year 5 Activity 1

1867 1875

1884 1889

1906

24
ACTIVITY 1
visualising townsville

HISTORICAL SKILLS AND ACTIVITIES:

Compare information from a range of sources; locate information related to inquiry questions in a
range of sources.

For Student Worksheet see resource folder Year 5 Activity 1

Look at the five images which were all taken from roughly the same place in different years.

What are some of the most significant What changes can you see occuring in
features within this image? these images?
1867

1875

1884

1889

1906

In 1873, Robert Towns died but his death coincided with an important shift in Townsville’s history.
Townsville, along with Bowen and Cardwell, was one of three northern coastal townships struggling
for supremacy. Townsville had established and survived its early years of settlement largely thanks to
Towns’ money and pastoralists. In 1871, however, something important happened. Late in 1871, three
prospectors (Hugh Mosman, George Clark and James Fraser) along with an eleven year old Aboriginal
boy named Jupiter Mosman had travelled out to the present day Charters Towers when their horses
fled. Jupiter found the horses but also found a large nugget at the base of Towers Hill. A gold rush to
Charters Towers and other nearby gold fields was on.
However, for the gold in the hinterlands behind Townsville to be worth anything, it needed to be
shipped to buyers. Two ports in North Queensland presented the best options, Townsville and Bowen.
Whichever of these two towns received the rail-link to Charters Towers and the westward settlements
would become the major town, and potential capital of North Queensland. Townsville emerged as the
preferred candidate, and the city prospered.

25
ACTIVITY 2
RESOURCE

For passages refer to resource folder Year 5 Activity 2

Passage 1: Editors and deputations from Mackay to Cooktown raised their voices in demands
for what nobody could keep from calling ‘the iron horse’. Long and tedious were the intrigues
and quarrels over routes. Townsville and Bowen each had hopes of becoming the gateway to
Charters Towers and the pastoral west. Bowen had the better harbour, Townsville had the better
politicians, and was on the right side of the Burdekin. In 1877 a Liberal government decided to
start the inland railway from Townsville…Five years later the line was open to Charters Towers,
and in 1884 a southern branch filched the Ravenswood trade from Bowen; 1887 the rails
stretched west from Charters Towers to Hughenden.
Geoffrey Bolton, Thousand Miles Away, page 161.

Passage 2: The town expanded rapidly, particularly after the Charters Towers goldfields became
established. Buildings which had previously served more than one function became inadequa
te.
Just as it was no longer considered appropriate for individuals to undertake multiple roles,
so too
buildings now were required to be more specialised.
Helga Griffin, Frontier Town, page 87.

Passage 3: The discovery of further goldfields at the Etheridge and at Charters Towers brought
prospectors in ever-increasing numbers. The road from Townsville was “crowded with swagmen
”,
while one visitor recorded that “Townsville reminded me of a goldfields town at the zenith
of the
Victorian golden times – streets crowded, teams loading, shopkeepers busy, prices exorbitan
t
and sellers indifferent to customers.
Dorothy Gibson-Wilde, Gateway to Golden Land, page 111.

Passage 4: There can be no possible doubt that the railway to Charters Towers would prove the
most remunerative line in the colonies, latest reports showing this goldfield to possess the finest
quartz reefs, while every week adds fresh discoveries.
Brisbane Courier, October 8, 1877, page 3.

26
ACTIVITY 2
gold and townsville

HISTORICAL SKILLS AND ACTIVITIES:

Use historical terms and concepts; locate information related to inquiry questions in a range of sources;
compare information from a range of sources; identify points of view in the past and present.

For Student Worksheet see resource folder Year 5 Activity 2

Read the passages and answer the questions.
1. Identify some sentences which suggest that the rail-link between Townsville and Charters Towers
was important for the city.
2. Identify the sentences which suggest Townsville changed after gold was discovered in Charters
Towers. In your own words describe how Townsville changed following the discovery of gold.

27
ACTIVITY 3
RESOURCE

For timeline refer to resource folder Year 5 Activity 3

Townsville Timeline
The first road to the hinterland was opened providing access to the port for all the
1865
pastoral properties in the hinterland.
1899 Peak of gold production, most of which was shipped through Townsville port.
1865 The first sale of allotments on Cleveland Bay was held at Bowen on 31 July.
The first bridge from Flinders Street to Ross Island (South Townsville) was completed,
1879
but was dismantled when flaws were discovered in the drawbridge winches.
1890 Townsville’s population reached 13 000 people.
James Morrill, a crew member of the ship Peruvian, was shipwrecked on the Great
Barrier Reef and was cast ashore on Cape Bowling Green after being 42 days at sea.
1846
Morrill lived with local Aboriginal Australians for 17 years when British settlement
reached the area. Morrill was the first European inhabitant of the area.
Townsville’s first railway station was construction on the corner of Jones and
1880
Flinders Street.
Townsville was major port and service centre for the Cape River, Gilbert,
1868
Ravenswood, Etheridge and Charters Towers goldfields.
1866 Townsville’s first newspaper, the Cleveland Bay Herald, was distributed on 3 March.
1867 Townsville population was approximately 300 people.
1865 Cleveland Bay declared a Port of Entry 23 September 1865.
1872 Townsville’s population grew to 2000 people.
1873 Robert Towns dies.
The first bridge from Flinders Street to Ross Island (South Townsville) was completed,
1879
but was dismantled when flaws were discovered in the drawbridge winches.
Robert Towns agrees to provide financial assistance to the new settlement. In
1866 February 1866 Townsville was declared a municipality and John Melton Black was
its first mayor.
1865 The first sale of allotments on Cleveland Bay was held at Bowen on 31 July.
Merchant James Burns sets up business in Townsville. In 1877 he went into
business with Robert Philp and established Burns Philp and Company. Burns
1873
Philp and Company would become one of the most significant shipping and trade
companies in the South Pacific region in the early twentieth century.
John Melton Black despatches Andrew Ball, Mark Watt Reid from Woodstock station
to locate a coastal site suitable for a port. They reached the mouth of Ross Creek
1864 in April 1864 and explored the area around Melton Hill. Ball returned to Woodstock
Station and reported of a site for settlement. The first part of settlers arrived at
Cleveland Bay on 5 November.
1882 Railway was extended to Charters Towers to ship booming goldfields.
Boiling down works established at Hermit Park, sugar plantations at Hyde Park and
1866
Hermit Park and cotton plantations at Railway Estate.

28
ACTIVITY 3
townsville timeline

HISTORICAL SKILLS AND ACTIVITIES:

Sequence historical people and events.

For Student Worksheet see resource folder Year 5 Activity 3

Unscramble the dates and descriptions and create your own timeline.

29
30
YEAR 6
austr alia as a nation
Students examine the life of Eddie Koiki Mabo, principally his High Court challenge and the
subsequent acknowledgement of Native Title.

Topic >>
Eddie Koiki Mabo and Native Title

Key inquiry questions >>

• Who was Eddie Koiki Mabo?
• How did he become involved in Indigenous land right campaigns?
• What was significant about his contribution to Australian society?

Content >>
The contribution of individuals and groups, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
and migrants, to the development of Australian society, for example in areas such as the economy,
education, science, the arts, sport.

Students >>
Will understand that Australia was claimed by Britain and settled under doctrine of terra nullius, that
this meant Aborigines were not legally recognised as occupants of the land prior to settlement.
Eddie Mabo, a Townsville citizen from Mur (Murray Island), launched a lands rights claim for his
people for Murray Island.
He won his case at the High Court and the doctrine of terra nullius was abolished leading to the
acknowledgement of Native Title and the legal recognition that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
were the original occupants and owners of Australia

EDDIE KOIKI MABO

contributions
Australian history is rich with individuals who have made significant
women from
to the country. Townsville is equally so. There are a number of men and
impacts
throughout the last 150 years of Townsville who have made immeasurable
in education, health, sport, literature and the arts, and economics.
ian
Few Townsvillians have had as a significant impact on the fabric of Austral
of Eddie Koiki
society as Eddie Koiki Mabo. In this section we will look at the the life
the legacy of
Mabo, his campaign to have Indigenous land rights recognised, and
ia was first
his work. The section begins, however, by looking back to when Austral
claimed by Captain Cook and the legacy of that action.

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ACTIVITY 1
RESOURCE

For map and the full extract refer to resource folder Year 6 Activity 1
An interactive version of the map is available at http://www.abc.net.au/indigenous/map/

Wednesday, 22nd. Gentle breezes at East by South and clear weather. We had not
steer’d above 3 or 4 Miles along shore to the westward before we discover’d the
land ahead to be Islands detached by several Channels from the main land; upon
this we brought too to Wait for the Yawl, and called the other Boats on board, and
after giving them proper instructions, sent them away again to lead us thro’ the
Channell next the Main, and as soon as the Yawl was on board made sail after
them with the Ship. Soon after we discover’d rocks and Shoals in this Channell,
upon which I made the Signal for the boats to lead thro’ the next Channel to the
Northward laying between the Islands, which they accordingly did, we following
with the Ship, and had not less than 5 fathoms; and this in the narrowest part
of the Channel, which was about a Mile and a 1/2 broad from Island to Island. At
4 o’Clock we Anchor’d about a Mile and a 1/2 or 2 Miles within the Entrance in 6
1/2 fathoms, clear ground, distance from the Islands on each side of us one Mile,
the Main land extending away to the South-West; the farthest point of which we
could see bore from us South 48 degrees West, and the Southermost point of the
Islands, on the North-West side of the Passage, bore South 76 degrees West.
Between these 2 points we could see no land, so that we were in great hopes that
we had at last found out a Passage into
the Indian seas; but in order to be
better informed I landed with a party of
men, accompanied by Mr. Banks and Dr.
Solander, upon the Islands which lies
at the South-East point of the Passage.
Before and after we Anchor’d we saw
a Number of People upon this Island,
Arm’d in the same manner as all the...

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 Find the definition of the following
WORD words, and where appropriate use them in
a sentence: autonomous, independence,
terra nullius, dispossessed, patronising,
BANK annexation, High Court.

ACTIVITY 1
cook cl aims austr alia

HISTORICAL SKILLS AND ACTIVITIES:

Use historical terms and concepts; locate information related to inquiry questions in a range of
sources; identify points of view in the past and present.

For Student Worksheet see resource folder Year 6 Activity 1

In 1770, Captain James Cook paved the way for European settlement by ceremoniously claiming the
land for Britain. Cook claimed the land for England despite his own interactions with Aboriginals
during his time in Australia.
The extract is from Captain Cook’s personal journal where he claims Australia for Great Britain. Read
the extract and answer the questions below.
1. Locate and label Possession Island on the map of Australia.
2. Locate, and rewrite, the sentence in which Cook sees Aboriginals.
3. According to Cook, to whom does the honour of discovering the ‘Western side’ of Australia belong?
4. What sections of the Australia did Cook take possession of in the name of the King George III?
5. On your map divide the Australia in two (east and west) and label which section was called New
South Wales and which was called New Holland.
6. Which group of peoples does Captain Cook not acknowledge when he took possession of East
Australia? Why do you think he didn’t acknowledge them?

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ACTIVITY 2
RESOURCE

For timeline refer to resource folder Year 6 Activity 2

Mabo Timeline
May 1982 Mabo High Court Case begins.
December 1988 The High Court declared that the 1985 Queensland laws were invalid
because they were racially discriminatory.
21 May 2008 The Townsville campus of James Cook University named its library the
Eddie Koiki Mabo Library.
1981 to 1984 Mabo was enrolled in the Aboriginal and Islander Teacher Education
Program at James Cook University.
1953 Mabo moved to the mainland where he continued to work on luggers,
then as a canecutter, a fettler in railway.
May 1991 The Mabo case was heard in the High Court.
26 January 1993 The Australian newspaper declared Mabo the 1992 Australian of the year.
1970 Mabo became president of the Council for the Rights of Indigenous People.
1981 James Cook University hosts a land rights conference at which a group
of Murray Islanders, with Mabo as their leader, decide to take the
Queensland Government to court to make a native title claim over their
Murray Island lands.
3 June 1995 Mabo’s tombstone was unveiled with a Torres Strait Islander ceremony in
Townsville. That night the grave was vandalised.
1985 Queensland Government, in attempt to end the Mabo case, passed
legislation that would remove any native title to land that existed prior to
British settlement.
29 June 1936 Eddie Koiki Mabo was born the son of Rober and Poipe Sambo. His mother
died shortly after his birth and he was adopted by his uncle and aunt Benny
and Maiga Mabo in accordance with Torres Strait Islander custom.
3 June 1992 The High Court ruled in favour of Mabo. The decision destroyed the legal
doctrine of terra nullius.
1962 Mabo became the Secretary of the Aboriginal Advancement League in
Townsville.
1 February 1992 Mabo was buried in Townsville.
21 January 1992 Eddie Koiki Mabo died in Brisbane.
1992 After his death, Mabo was awarded a Human Rights Award by the Human
Rights Commission and an Australian Achiever Medallion by the National
Australia Day Council.
18 September 1995 Mabo was reburied at his village on Murray Island, Las.
1967 Began work at James Cook University (then called University College of
Townsville) as a gardener.
1962 Began work at the Townsville Harbour Board as a labourer.
1953 Mabo began working out of Murray Island on trochus shell luggers.

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ACTIVITY 2
mabo timeline

HISTORICAL SKILLS AND ACTIVITIES:

Sequence historical people and events; use historical terms and concepts; locate information related
to inquiry questions in a range of sources.

For Student Worksheet see resource folder Year 6 Activity 2

Unscramble the following dates and descriptions and create your own timeline of Eddie Mabo’s life.

The High Court challenge on behalf of the Murray Island community was a success. Terra Nullius
as a doctrine was destroyed and Native Title was born. Native Title allowed Aboriginal Torres Strait
Islander groups to make claims over crown land as long as they could prove they had a spiritual or
traditional connection with it. The Mabo decision had broader ramifications for Australian society.
It helped repair some parts of the relationship between Indigenous and European Australians and
gave Indigenous peoples in Australia formal recognition of their long-held traditional ownership of
Australia. The most significant acknowledgement of this change was made by the then Prime Minister,
Paul Keating, at a speech in the Sydney suburb of Redfern.

35
ACTIVITY 3
RESOURCE

For speech refer to resource folder Year 6 Activity 3

“Mabo is an historic decision – we can

make it an historic turning point, the
basis of a new relationship between Ind
igenous and non-Aboriginal Australians
.
The message should be that there is not
hin g to fear or to lose in the
recognition of historical truth, or the ext
ension of social justice, or the
deepening of Australian social democracy
to include indigenous Australians.
There is everything to gain.
Even the unhapp y past speaks for this.
Where Aboriginal Australians have been
included in the life of Australia they
have made remarkable contributions.
Economic contributions, par ticularly in the
pastoral and agricultural industry.
They are there in the frontier and explora
tion history of Australia.
They are there in the wars.
In sport to an extraordinary degree.
In literatu re and art and music.
In all these thin gs they have shaped our
knowledge of this continent and of
ourselves. They have shaped our identity
.
They are there in the Australian legend.
We should never forget – they have help
ed build this nation.
And if we have a sense of justice, as well
as common sense, we will forge a new
par tnership.
As I said, it might help us if we non-Ab
original Australians ima gined ourselves
dispossessed of land we had lived on for
fifty thousand years – and then
ima gined ourselves told that it had never
been ours.”

36
ACTIVITY 3
mabo legacy

HISTORICAL SKILLS AND ACTIVITIES:

Use historical terms and concepts; Locate information related to inquiry questions in a range of
sources; Identify points of view in the past and present.

For Student Worksheet see resource folder Year 6 Activity 3

Read the text and answer the questions.
1. List the ways that Aboriginal Australians have contributed to life in Australia, according to Paul Keating.
2. Keating calls Mabo ‘an historic decision’ that could be an ‘historic turning point’
a) What do you think made Mabo ‘an historic decision’?
b) What do you think Paul Keating meant when he said ‘an historic turning point’?

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38
USEFUL TOWNSVILLE HISTORY TEXTS AVAILABLE
THROUGH LOCAL HISTORY COLLECTION
Noel Loos and Eddie Koiki Mabo, Edward Koiki Mabo: His Life and Struggle for Land Rights, Brisbane:
University of Queensland Press, 2013.
Helen Brayshaw, Well Beaten Paths: Aborigines of the Herbert Burdekin district, north Queensland an
Ethnographic and Archaeological Study, Townsville: Department of History James Cook University of
North Queensland, 1990.
Helga Griffin, Frontier Town: A History of Early Townsville and Hinterland 1864-1884, Townsville: North
Queensland History Preservation Society, 2014.
John Matthew, Highways and Byways: The Origin of Townsville Street Names, Townsville: Townsville
Library Services, 2008.
Dorothy Gibson-Wilde, Gateway to a Golden Land: Townsville to 1884, Townsville: History Department
James Cook University, 1984.
Geoffrey Bolton, A Thousand Miles Away: A History of North Queensland to 1920, Brisbane: Jacaranda
Press, 1963.
James Morrill, Sketch of a Residence Among the Aborigines of Northern Queensland For Seventeen
Years, Brisbane: Courier General Printing Office, 1863.

FURTHER RESOURCES
CityLibraries Townsville
Our Local History Collection holds World War One information, photographs and other items relevant
to Townsville’s involvement.
http://www.townsville.qld.gov.au/facilities/libraries/history/Pages/default.aspx

Trove
All of the newspaper articles utilised and the letters pertaining to Private Fisher were accessed via
Trove. Trove is a catalogue run by the National Library of Australia which provides online access to
millions of newspapers. It is an incredibly valuable and interesting resource for historians.
It is free and there is no need to register. If you do choose to register, which is also free, you are able
to contribute to the catalogue by correcting the html text which accompanies the film version of the
newspaper.
For more information about Trove visit their website: http://trove.nla.gov.au.

Captain Cook’s Endeavour Journal online

Cook’s Endeavour journal is available through the National Library of Australia’s website
http://southseas.nla.gov.au/index_voyaging.html.

Further Mabo Resources

The Australian Broadcast Corporation has a series of videos, worksheets, and teacher tips for
teaching this subject: http://www.abc.net.au/tv/mabo/videos/.
The entire Redfern speech is available through the Australian Screen online database:
http://aso.gov.au/titles/spoken-word/keating-speech-redfern-address/extras/.

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